Overview

In this article, we will explain the way you will be required to list to Amazon, should you have an ASIN or what will be required if you do not have an ASIN for your product(s).

What is an ASIN? 

ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number. 

This is a unique ten-digit alphanumerical code that Amazon assigns to each of its and its partners products.

The ASIN is then used by Amazon to identify the millions of products in its database and organise their internal inventory structure. 

Every ASIN is unique for each product and is assigned when a new product is created in Amazon's product catalogue. 

When should I create an ASIN or use an existing ASIN?

For a single product sold on Amazon, there should only be one ASIN - If duplicates are created, eventually the duplicate products and their ASINs will be merged by Amazon. This is to ensure that customers are able to navigate Amazon's extensive product catalogue with ease.  

Use an existing ASIN 

Before you sell an item on Amazon, you can check to see if an ASIN already exists for that product. If there is, you can start selling by creating a listing under that ASIN and when you do this, you will share the same ASIN with every other seller that offers that same product for sale on Amazon. Despite sharing an existing ASIN with other sellers, you can still assign your own unique SKU.

This is generally the method used for products with wide distribution, resellers and retailers.

Create a new ASIN

If the item you are wanting to sell on Amazon doesn't already have an ASIN/exist in Amazon's product catalogue, you will need to create a new product on Amazon. Once this is created, Amazon will assign a unique ASIN and you can start selling the product. 

This is generally the requirement for brand owners, private-labels, and sellers with exclusive distribution rights.

Please Note: if you want your own SKU to be connected to the listing, you will need to add this at the point of creating the listing with the  new/existing ASIN. If you do not do this, Amazon will assign a random SKU, which could cause housekeeping issues.

How can I check if an ASIN already exists? 

You can find an ASIN using the search box on Amazon’s homepage or within the Add a product page of your Amazon Seller Central account. 

From the search results, click the link to the product’s detail page - here you will find the ASIN in the middle of the Item Details section:

The ASIN will appear in the URL of the product too:

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